The present invention relates to a reaction product of a titanate and an acetoacetate which has been modified so as to lower its freezing point.
It has long been known that titanium esters react with high molecular weight hydroxyl-containing compounds so as to cross-link them and produce gels; J. Oil and Colour Chem. Assoc. 31, 405 (1948). However, the cross-linking reaction made through the use of simple alkyl esters of titanium proceeds too rapidly for most industrial uses. The cross-linking rate imparted by titanium esters can be depressed by combining a titanium ester with a variety of multifunctional compounds including an acetoacetate; U.S. Pat. No. 2,680,108 and Feld & Cowe, The Organic Chemistry of Titanium, published by Butterworth (1965). It should be noted that there is disagreement as to the structure of the complexes or chelates so-formed; cf. the structure given in the patent with that given by Yamamoto et al., J.A.C.S. 79 (1957), 4344-8.
The reaction product of tetraisopropyl titanate (also known as tetraisopropoxytitanium) and ethyl acetoacetate, at a titanate:acetoacetate mol ratio of 1:2, finds industrial use in cross-linking high molecular weight compounds. In that commercial reaction product, the isopropanol liberated in the reaction is removed, e.g., by distillation. That reaction product is normally a liquid, and sometimes it remains in the liquid state even after having been supercooled to some considerable extent. However, in the supercooled state, it sometimes spontaneously freezes, especially in the presence of a nucleating agent, such as dust or a part of the reaction product in crystal form. The reaction product of tetraisopropyl titanate and ethyl acetoacetate at a 1:1 mol ratio has an even greater tendency to freeze; when seeded with crystals of that reaction product, it may even freeze solid at room temperature (about 20.degree.-25.degree. C.).